by Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports

by Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports

SAN ANTONIO - When San Antonio Spurs backup point guard Gary Neal broke out for career playoff high 24 points in a Game 3 win over the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals on Tuesday, it was a welcome change in script for a team that needed his help because of a hamstring injury to star Tony Parker.

What it isn't, however, is a sustainable strategy.

The Spurs enter Game 4 on Tuesday hoping Parker can play and knowing full well that the prospect of beating the Heat without him is the tallest of tasks. Parker, who suffered the injury early in the second half of Game 3, had an MRI on Wednesday that revealed a Grade 1 hamstring strain.

Parker said the good news was that he didn't have a "tear or a defect," but indicated that it remains possible he'll be forced to sit out.

"We'll talk with (Spurs coach Gregg Popovich," he said. "Coach Pop always prefer the rest, to avoid injury. If it was the regular season I would definitely have rest. I would not play. And same thing here, it's an injury, and so we'll see. We'll see how I feel tomorrow."

It's hard to imagine Parker not attempting to play through the tightness that comes with the hamstring strain. But with so much of his game revolving around his ability to probe the lane and play at a fifth-gear pace, this is an edge for the Heat even if he does play at less than full strength.

The Spurs are 11-5 this season when Parker doesn't play, and one of those games - a 105-100 loss at Miami on Nov. 29 - came when the idea of playing without Parker was strategic. Popovich infamously sent four of his top players home, with Parker joined by Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green. Yet Parker, who had just six points and eight assists in Game 3 while playing 27 minutes, simply must be on the floor going forward for the Spurs to prevail.

San Antonio is 43-8 in the regular season and playoffs when he scores 20 or more points and 18-1 when he has 10 or more assists. He had 13 points and five assists in Game 2 after a 21-point, six-assist outing in Game 1.

"I'm not putting pressure on myself," Parker said. "The whole series I have to be patient. A lot of the Miami defense focus is on me. So my teammates are taking advantage of it. And they are playing great. And hopefully they can keep it going."